Greystar Real Estate Partners is expanding its Asia-Pacific platform operations with the announcement of a new office set to open in Tokyo. The firm has hired Akira Kosugi, a veteran real estate executive, to oversee the new office and advance investment opportunities across Japan as managing director.
Japan’s renter population is rising, according to Greystar, and Tokyo and Osaka alone represent 50% of the country’s multifamily transaction volume. “Japan is one of the top markets in the world with a developed institutional multifamily ownership. There is a tremendous appetite from our global investors to get exposure in this market,” says Bob Faith, founder and CEO of Greystar. “As Greystar continues to grow our global footprint, it is critically important that we build our local team in Japan to be best positioned to address this important market. We’re looking forward to working with Akira to serve our investors, clients, and residents in Japan for years to come.”
Kosugi has more than 20 years of experience in global real estate investment. He has served as managing director and led the Tokyo office of Westbrook Japan, and has held senior leadership roles at Blackstone, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Grove International Partners.
“I have followed Greystar’s international growth over the years and have always been impressed by the firm’s ability to quickly scale and professionalize rental housing stock in diverse global markets,” Kosugi says. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to continue this track record of success by working with a great team to identify attractive value-add acquisition and development opportunities in key geographic areas.”
